Machine for the manufacture of multiple letter-sheets or cards.



. A. 84 A. H. HOLMES. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTUREOFMULTiPLE LETTER. SHEETS 0R CARDS. APPHCATION FILED NOV. 5. I917. L mfigao Patented Jan.15,1918. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- ATTVO RN ELY A. 8; A. H. HOLMES. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MULTIPLE LETTER SHEETS 0R CARDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 5119i? L fi gu Patented Jan.15,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 44a, r ,1. ll 51a 2a ,5 l 15a, BK- I 2 7 22 56 5,1,

I BY AMOS HOLMES ANDARTHUR HAROLD HOLMES, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

'IVIA'CHINE FOR THETJIANUFAGTURE 015 TJIULTIPLE LETTER SHEETS OR CARDS.

Toall whom it may. concern:

'IBe it known that we, AMos HOLMES and ARTHUR HAROLD IHoLMus, subjects of the King of Great. Britain and Ireland, and both. residing at 3 Lionel street, in the city of Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for theD/lanufacture of Multiple Letter-Sheets or Cards, (for which we have applied for a patent in Great Britaim'No. M756, hearing date October 17,1916) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for the manufacture of multiple letter and. the like sheets or cards, and has for its object to provide an improved. construction and arrangement of machine which is adapted to secure together such sheets or cards, by applying thereto a thin layer of gum or other adhesive substance, and then to pass the same through pressure. rollers; and is further adapted to subsequently perforate the said sheets in any'desired position close to the edges thathave been secured together in the manner aforestated.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which Figuresrl andQ show respectively a side elevation and plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional eleration taken on line AB of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a part front elevation of the treadle and control mechanism.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same part or feature throughout the several figures of the drawings.

We mount in a suitable form of frame or stand, which may comprise side plates 1, 1*, two, transverse shafts 2 and 3, on which are slidably but non-rotatably' mounted any'desired number of reels or drums 1 and r, adapted to drive endless carrying tapes or hands 5 and 6, which latter are arranged to converge toward the rear part of the frame of the machine where they pass over idle shafts? and 8, mounted in bearings in the side'plates 1, 1, of the frame of the machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented "Jan; 15, rare.

Applicationfiled November 5, 1917. V SerialNoflOOA'YZ. i

The upper'tape driving shaft 2, is preferably disposed at a position tothe "rear of the lowertape driving shaft3; and in close proximity thereto, mounted on the side plate 1 of the frame, is a trough 9 for containing liquid gum or otheradhesive substance, and in the said trough is carried a gumming roller 10 which is connected by suitable gearing with the upper tape driving shaft 2, and driven so that its peripheral speedcorresponds with the speed or travel of the feed tape. Above the aforesaid tape driving shaft 2 arelocated feed rollers 11, which are mounted on a shaft carried on arms 12 secured to a spindle 12, the said rollers being capable of an alternate rising and falling movement, which may be effected in the manner l1ereafter described. Over the feed rollers 11 are carried endless tapes or bands 13 which pass over rollers mounted on a spindle 1 1 which is carried in the side plates 1, 1, of the frame of the machine, and the said tapes 13 at their rear ends are arranged so that their lower sides lie in close proximity to the aforesaid upper driving tapes 5, and in their falling movement come into contact with the reels or drums 4 on the driven upper tape shaft 2, and thereby the aforesaid feed rollers 11 are causeduto revolve, and thesheet which has been passed under the feed rollers when in their raised position is thereby picked up or gripped and frictionally carried between the said endless tapes and 13, during which travel the underside edgeof the paper or sheet passes over the periphery of the gumming roller 10 and has imparted thereto a thin film of the adhesive solution. Above the lower feed tape reels or drums ll, feed rollers 11 are mounted by means of arms 12 and the spindle 12 in a manner similar to those previously described, and the said upper and lower feed rollers 11 and 11? are connected together by a link or rod 15 which is jointed to arms 15 secured to the spindles 12, and are simultaneously moved to and held in their raised position, to permit of the sheets being fed into the machine, by a lever 16 f'ulcrumed to the side plate 1 of the frame of the machine, its rear end engaging with and being raised by a cam 17 mounted on a counter-shaft 18, which is driven. from the main shaft 19, as hereinafter described. The front end of the lever 16 is jointedly connected to a short arm or lever 20 on the shaft 12 carrying the lower feed rollers 11 and in its downward movement is adapted to simultaneously raise both the lower and upper feed rollers 11 and 11, and also the front and rear lays as hereafter described. When the enlarged part of the cam has passed from engagement with the rear end of the said operating lever 16, the feed rollers by their weight fall or gravitate into contact with the reels or drums 4 and 4- on the tapedriving shafts 2 and 3.

Connected to the arms 12, on which the feed rollers '11 and 11 are carried, are lays 21 and 21, which when the said rollers are raised, also assume a raised position and form a stop or guide up to and against which the sheets of paper to be treated are placed. A little beyond the delivery end of the upper and lower feed tapes 5 and 6, another set of arms or lays 22 are carried on'hell-crank levers 23 pivoted to the side plates of the frame of the machine, and the arms or lays 22 are raised and lowered simultaneously with the raising and lowering of the front lays 21 and 21, the said movement being effected by a connecting rod or link 2% at tached to an arm 25 on the shaft 12 of the lower front rollers 11, and to one end of the bell-crank levers 23 which carry the rear lays 22. The said rear lays are adapted and intended to position the two sheets, which is effected by the momentary arresting of same.

It will be observed that during the passage of the sheets through the delivery tapes, both the front and rear lays are in their lowered or inoperative position, but just prior to the sheets reaching the position of the rear lays, the mechanism is timed to raise the front rolls and lays, and simultaneously the rear lays are raised in the manner previously described.

Behind the rear lays are located a series of pairs of feed and pressure rollers 26 and 27, the lower ones 27 of the said rollers being mounted on a driven shaft 27, while the upper ones 26 are mounted. on the shaft 26 which is suitably geared to a shaft 27 and is freely mounted in vertically slotted bear ings 28 in the frame of the machine. The upper rollers 25 by their weight exert pres sure on the sheets of paper delivered from the upper and lower tapes, thereby firmly securing together the gummed edges, and at the same time distributing evenly the gum or other adhesive substance. To the rear of the lower driven feed rollers 27 is mounted a driven shaft 29 having at the one end thereof a plain. metal drum or sleeve part 30 on which rests a circular perforator or cutter wheel 31, which is mounted on a movable shaft 31 carried by pivoted arms 32 secured to a shaft 32, which is mounted in the side plates 1, and 1 of the machine; and on the said shaft 32 may also be secured an arm on which is adgustably carried a weight 33, arranged and adapted to permit of the downward pressure of the perforator 31 on the drum 30 being adjusted or controlled; and further, the'said pivoted arms 32 permit of the perforator 31 being raised or-turned clear of engagement with the drum 30 when the operation of perforating is not required.

At the other end of the iierforator'shaft 31 is fixed a toothed wheel or pinion 3% which engages with a pinion 35 on the driven drum shaft 29 located immediately below the said perforator shaft 31; The pinion 35 011 the drum shaft 29 also engages with a large pinion 36 carried on the short counter-shaft 1.8 mounted on the side of the frame, onwhich said counter-shaft is also fitted the cam 17 for operating the mechanism of the feed rollers and lays, in the man'- nor as previously described. The said large pinion 36 on the counter-shaft 18 is in turn engaged by a small pinion 37 on the main driving shaft 19; thus it will be observed motion is imparted from the main driving shaft 19 through the pinion 36 on the counter-shaft 18 to the perfo'rator drum shaft 29, and from the latter, motion is imparted to the rear feed and pressure roller shaft 27, and to the upper and lower tape driving shafts 2 and 3 through the chain 38, or other suitable transmission means, engaging with cogs or pulleys mounted on the outer ends of the said shafts. On the side plate 1 of the frame, we mount an adjustable jockey pulley 38 which is arranged to direct the driving chain 38 into driving contact with its cog or pulley on the shaft 27*; and the said jockey pulley also serves as a means for the adjustment or tensioning of the chain.

To the rear of the perforator and the per forator drum shafts 31 and 29, are placed a pair of delivery rollers 39 and 40, the lower one 40 being connected to the driven feed rollers 27, in front of the perforator, by endless tapes or hands 41, while the upper de livery roller 39 is carried in vertically slotted bearings 42, and rests by its weight on the lower roller. The sheets that have been treated pass from the delivery rolls on to any suitable tray or platform arranged to recelve same.

To controlthe machine, that is to keep the feed rollers 11 and 11 in their raised or inoperative positions, we mount 011 the side of the frame a lever 43 having at its upper end a hook portion 4a which is arranged to engage'with a peg or stud 45 on the operating arm 20 fixed to the shaft of the lower feed rollers 11, when the latter are in their raised position; the said lever 43 being held in such engagement by a counter weight 47, but it isnormally held clear of engagement lit) masses therewith by a spring controlled arm 48 mounted on the shaft 49. ofthe treadle lever 50, the said arm 1-8 being arranged to move and holdthe said lever l3 in a rearward position, as shown in dotted lines in. Fig. 1, clear of engagement with the pegel5 on the operating arm 20, of thefeed rollers. Thus it will be observed that when the operators foot depresses the treadle, its arm 48 is moved clear of engagement with the control or operating lever 43, and the latter by its counter weight at? is moved into its engaged position as before described, and thus holds the feed rollers 11 and 11 in their raised position, with the front lays 21 and 21 and rear lays 22 also in their upper or raised position.

At the front of the machine are mounted suitable feed tables 52, 52, on which may be placed the sheets to be treated.

lit will be readily understood that either one or two operators may be engaged to feed the sheets into the machine. When two are employed, the feed will be controlled so long as either one or the other keeps the treadle in the depressed position.

If it be desired to treat three or more sheets, this is effected by again passing through the one set of feed rollers duplicate sheets that have been previously treated, and through the other set of feed rollers either single, duplicate or triplicate sheets as may be desired, and in such case the per forating would be withheld until the last operation, such being eifected by swinging the shaft on which the perforator is carried, on its pivoted arms, into a raised position, where it may be held by a catch or other suitable means.

WVhat we claim as our invention, and de sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for the manufacture of multiple letter sheets or cards, comprising a set of upper and lower feed tapes, front and rear lays operable in conjunction with said tapes, a gumming roller arranged to impart a thin layer of adhesive substance to the under edge of the upper sheet while passing through the upper feed tapes, pressure and feed rollers between which the sheets are directed by said tapes and which are adapted to exert pressure on said sheets, thereby evenly to distribute the adhesive substance and firmly secure the sheets together, a drum and perforator constituting cooperating elements, and located beyond said rollers to perforate the sheets near their upper edge along a line just below the gummed surface; and delivery rollers, arranged to guide and deliver the finished sheets from the machine, substantially as herein described.

2. In a machine for the manufacture of multiple letter sheets or cards, upper and lower sets of endless feed tapes, means for positively driving the lower tapes of each set, the upper tapes of each set being driven arms, means for operating said arms .to raise .and lower said rollers thereby to produce a succession of rising and falling movements of said rollers and the upper tapes of each set throughout the operation of the ma chine, the said lays being raised into an operative position when the rollers are raised, andlowered into an inoperative position when the rollers are lowered, cooperating pressure and feed rollers in the rear of said tapes and between which the sheets are passed by the tapes, rear lays mounted between the tapes and said pressure and feed rollers, movable supporting means for the rear lays, and a link extending between said supporting means and one of said arms, whereby to effect the raising and lowering of the rear lays simultaneously with the raising and lowering of the front lays.

In a machine for the manufacture of multiple letter sheets or cards, upper and lower sets of endless feed tapes, pressure and feed mechanism in the rear of said sets and with which both sets are in cooperat-ion, means for positively driving the lower tapes of each set, the upper tapes of each set being driven by frictional contact with their companion lower tapes, guide rollers for the upper tapes of each set located at the front end thereof, shafts upon which said guide rollers are mounted, movable supporting arms for said shafts, front lays also supported by said arms, a driven shaft, a cam thereon, and means for operating said arms to raise and lower said rollers thereby to produce a succession of rising and falling movements of said rollers and the upper tapes of each set throughout the operation of the machine, said means including a pivotally mounted lever having its rear end engaged with said cam and its front end connected to one of said arms, the arms for saidguide roller shafts being connected together for participating movement, said lays being raised into an operative position when the rollers are raised, and lowered into an inoperative position when the rollers are lowered.

4t. In a machine for the manufacture of multiple letter sheets or cards, upper and lower sets of endless feed tapes, carrying shafts for the lower tapes of said sets, an langed at the front thereof, pressure and feed rollers arranged in the rear of said tapes and between which the sheets are passed by said tapes, a perforator drum loated adjacent said pressure and feed rollers, a shaft for said drum, gearing for driving said drum shaft, one ofthe shafts of said feed rollers having a sprocket, other sprockets on said drum shaft and said carrying shafts, and an endless driving chain which is trained over all of said sprockets.

In witness whereof, We have afiixed our signatures, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 20th day of October, 1917.

AMOS VHOLMES. ARTHUR HAROLD HOLMES.

Witnesses: ERNEST \V. JoNEs, EGERTON WEs'r.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

